About Appleseed News Inc.

Editorial independence policy

Appleseed News adheres to the standards of editorial independence established by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). These standards guide our commitment to producing fair, accurate, and nonpartisan journalism for the communities we serve.

Editorial control and independence

Appleseed News retains full and final authority over all editorial content. This independence is essential to protecting the integrity, credibility, and mission of our newsroom. All decisions regarding news coverage are made by our editorial staff, and are insulated from any external influence, including donors, sponsors, and business partners.

We maintain a strict firewall between revenue sources and editorial decision-making. Acceptance of financial support—whether through gifts, grants, sponsorships, advertising, or other contributions—does not constitute endorsement of any donor, their products, services, political positions, or viewpoints.

Funding and news judgment

We welcome financial support from individuals, foundations, and organizations for the general support of our work. However, our news judgments are made independently and never on the basis of donor interests or preferences.

Appleseed News may accept funding designated to expand reporting in certain broad topic areas (such as public safety, local government, education, the environment, or community issues). Even when coverage areas are supported in this way, editorial decisions—including story selection, reporting, editing, and final publication—remain solely under the control of our editorial staff.

We do not grant donors, sponsors, or funders any right to review, approve, edit, influence, or suppress editorial content. We do not allow funders to shape or pre-determine our reporting.

Transparency and donor disclosure

Appleseed News is committed to transparency regarding financial support. We publicly disclose all donors who contribute a total of $5,000 or more in a calendar year.

We may accept anonymous donations for general support only, and only when sufficient safeguards are in place to ensure that such contributions do not influence editorial decisions and remain compliant with INN’s Membership Standards.

How this applies in Richland County: Local beats (public safety, government, courts, traffic, notices, events) stay under newsroom control. Sponsorships or ads, when used, are labeled separately from news. Donor lists at the disclosure threshold are published so readers can judge support for themselves.

Source basis: Institute for Nonprofit News membership standards; Appleseed News editorial independence policy text as published for Appleseed News.

Conflict of interest policy

Adoption: Pending board adoption (add adoption date and vote record when approved.)

Review: At least annually, or when material facts change.

Applies to: Members of the board of directors, officers, and any person who exercises substantial influence over fundraising, sponsorships or advertising, vendor selection, or financial reporting for Appleseed News Inc. (“Covered persons”). The editorial leadership of Appleseed News is Covered for conflicts that intersect with revenue, fundraising, or business relationships—not for ordinary news judgments absent such ties.

This document is a practical governance template. It is not legal advice. Have qualified counsel review it before adoption.

1. Purpose

Appleseed News Inc. is a nonprofit news organization. Public trust requires that personal, financial, or family interests do not influence fiduciary decisions, fundraising, or business dealings of the organization. Editorial independence for news coverage is governed separately by the Editorial Independence Policy; this policy addresses conflicts in governance and business and overlaps where a Covered person’s outside interests could affect the organization or could appear to affect editorial decisions if that person also influences revenue.

2. Definitions

Conflict of interest — A situation in which a Covered person, or a Family member or Affiliated organization of that person, has a Financial interest or other material interest that could impair, or reasonably appear to impair, the person’s ability to act in the best interests of Appleseed News Inc.

Financial interest — Direct or indirect compensation, gifts, loans, equity, royalties, commissions, business income, or any material financial stake (including prospective employment or contracts) tied to a transaction, vendor, donor, sponsor, or competitor of the organization.

Family member — Spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, or any person living in the same household.

Affiliated organization — An entity in which the Covered person or a Family member is an officer, director, partner, trustee, substantial contributor, or paid consultant.

Material — An interest or relationship that a reasonable person would consider capable of influencing decisions, or that could create public skepticism about impartiality if undisclosed.

3. Duties of covered persons

1. Disclose any actual or potential conflict as soon as the Covered person becomes aware of it, and update disclosures when circumstances change.
2. Recuse from discussion, debate, and vote on any matter where the Covered person has a conflict, unless the board asks the person to provide factual information only and then withdraws.
3. Avoid using their position with Appleseed News Inc. to obtain special treatment or private gain for themselves, Family members, or Affiliated organizations.
4. Cooperate with the board’s review of conflicts and with any corrective steps the board approves.

4. Examples of conflicts (non-exhaustive)

• A Covered person, or their Family member or Affiliated organization, donates or pledges in a way that could create expectation of editorial favor or suppression of coverage (donations must still comply with the Editorial Independence Policy).
• A Covered person has a Financial interest in a vendor, sponsor, advertiser, or grantee the organization is asked to hire, pay, or partner with.
• A Covered person solicits or accepts gifts, entertainment, or travel from a current or prospective vendor, donor, or sponsor in a manner inconsistent with the organization’s gift policy (if any) or that could appear to purchase influence.
• A Covered person negotiates or approves compensation or contracts benefiting themselves or a Family member.
• A Covered person uses nonpublic information obtained through Appleseed News Inc. for personal investment or competitive advantage.
• Dual roles where the same individual could influence both news coverage and revenue for the same topic or party—such overlaps must be disclosed and managed so that editorial control remains with editorial leadership and the firewall in the Editorial Independence Policy is preserved.

5. Disclosure procedure

1. Annual disclosure: Each Covered person completes and signs the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (see Appendix A) at least once per calendar year, or upon joining the board or covered role.
2. Prompt disclosure: Any new conflict or material change is reported in writing to the President of the board (or, if the President has the conflict, to the Secretary) within ten (10) business days of becoming aware of it.
3. Board review: The board (or a designated Compliance committee excluding conflicted members) determines whether a conflict exists and what mitigation is appropriate, including recusal, oversight, second signatures, or declining a transaction.
4. Recording: Conflicts and recusals are noted in meeting minutes or in a conflict log maintained by the Secretary or Treasurer.

6. Recusal and participation

When a matter involving a conflict comes before the board:

• The conflicted Covered person leaves the room during discussion and vote unless the board requests neutral facts only.
• The conflicted person does not count toward quorum for that vote.
• The board documents recusal in the minutes.

7. Relationships with editorial operations

Appleseed News Inc. maintains editorial independence for news decisions. Covered persons who are also involved in editorial or reporting work must:

• Disclose any personal, financial, or family tie to a subject of coverage before assignment or publication decisions are made, and follow editorial leadership direction on recusal or disclosure to the audience.
• Not use board or officer authority to direct, reward, or punish coverage to benefit a donor, sponsor, advertiser, or personal interest.

If a conflict touches both governance and news, the board addresses governance; editorial leadership addresses newsworthiness and presentation, consistent with the Editorial Independence Policy.

8. Confidentiality

Information provided for conflict review is used only for governance and compliance. Covered persons should avoid sharing sensitive personal information beyond what is necessary for the board to decide. Minutes should summarize conflicts without unnecessary private detail, while preserving an auditable record.

9. Enforcement

Violations of this policy may result in censure, removal from committee assignments, removal as an officer, or removal from the board, consistent with the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of Appleseed News Inc.

10. No retaliation

Appleseed News Inc. will not retaliate against any Covered person who in good faith discloses a conflict or participates in conflict review.

Appendix A — Annual conflict of interest disclosure form

Name: _________________________________
Role: _________________________________
Date: _________________________________

List all entities and relationships that could present a conflict under this policy (attach sheet if needed):

Description (organization / person / relationship)	Nature of interest (e.g., director, donor, vendor, family)	Material? (Y/N)

Certification: I have disclosed all known actual and potential conflicts. I understand I must update this form when circumstances change.

Signature: _________________________________

Appendix B — Board adoption record (complete after vote)

Resolved: The board of directors of Appleseed News Inc. adopts the Conflict of Interest Policy effective ______________.

Name	Role	Vote (yes / no / abstain)	Signature / date
Carl Gilliam	President
Sandy Bryant	Treasurer
Joe Lyons	Secretary

(Add rows if additional directors are seated.)

Source: Appleseed News Inc. conflict of interest policy (governance template); align with counsel before adoption.

Mission statement (published wording)

At Appleseed News Inc., our mission is to educate and inform the community of Richland County, Ohio, through accurate, unbiased, and truthful news. We take pride in our commitment to delivering factual information, free from external influence or bias. Our goal is to cover the issues that matter most, ensuring that our readers have access to the knowledge they need to stay informed and engaged. We believe that a well-informed community is a stronger community, and we are dedicated to providing comprehensive news that helps make that possible.

Unified mission statement (reference edition)

Appleseed News Inc. exists to educate and inform people in Richland County, Ohio—including Mansfield and surrounding communities—with accurate, unbiased, truthful, and nonpartisan local journalism on public safety, government, courts, infrastructure, and daily civic life. Our reporting is free to read so that wealth is not a gatekeeper to local facts. We present news without selling editorial influence: editorial decisions stay with the newsroom, with a strict firewall between coverage and funders, consistent with the Editorial independence policy on this page. We do not tell readers what to think; we work to reduce information gaps so residents can draw their own conclusions, stay safe and engaged, and participate in public life on their own terms. We believe a well-informed community is a stronger community and we are building financial and impact transparency over time, including disclosure of donors who give $5,000 or more in a calendar year as described in that policy.

What we commit to

• Independence: News judgment is ours alone; revenue does not steer story selection or framing.
• Access: Core news remains free; voluntary support funds operations, not paywalls.
• Integrity: Verification, corrections, and clear labeling of sponsorship or advertising where applicable.
• Place: Service area is Richland County, Ohio, first.

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Grant and donor language: Use the published paragraph for short bios; use the unified paragraph when proposals ask for independence, geography, free access, and transparency in one statement.

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One line for boards and funders

501(c)(3) local nonprofit news for Richland County; INN-style independence; free distribution; path from early-stage support to diversified funding and published impact metrics.

Terms of service

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

These terms and conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”) govern the use of Appleseednews.com (the “Site”). This Site is owned and operated by Appleseed News Inc. This Site is a news or media website.

By using this Site, you indicate that you have read and understand these Terms and Conditions and agree to abide by them at all times.

THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAIN A DISPUTE RESOLUTION CLAUSE THAT IMPACTS YOUR RIGHTS ABOUT HOW TO RESOLVE DISPUTES. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.

Intellectual property

All content published and made available on our Site is the property of Appleseed News Inc. and the Site’s creators. This includes, but is not limited to images, text, logos, documents, downloadable files and anything that contributes to the composition of our Site.

Age restrictions

The minimum age to use our Site is 18 years old. By using this Site, users agree that they are over 18 years old. We do not assume any legal responsibility for false statements about age.

Acceptable use

As a user of our Site, you agree to use our Site legally, not to use our Site for illegal purposes, and not to:

• Harass or mistreat other users of our Site;
• Violate the rights of other users of our Site;
• Violate the intellectual property rights of the Site owners or any third party to the Site;
• Hack into the account of another user of the Site;
• Act in any way that could be considered fraudulent;
• Post any material that may be deemed inappropriate or offensive; or
• Any act that is unlawful.

If we believe you are using our Site illegally or in a manner that violates these Terms and Conditions, we reserve the right to limit, suspend or terminate your access to our Site. We also reserve the right to take any legal steps necessary to prevent you from accessing our Site.

User contributions

Users may post the following information on our Site:

• Items for sale;
• Photos;
• Videos; and
• Public comments.

By posting publicly on our Site, you agree not to act illegally or violate these Terms and Conditions.

Accounts

When you create an account on our Site, you agree to the following:

1. You are solely responsible for your account and the security and privacy of your account, including passwords or sensitive information attached to that account; and
2. All personal information you provide to us through your account is up to date, accurate, and truthful and that you will update your personal information if it changes.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you are using our Site illegally or if you violate these Terms and Conditions.

Third-party goods and services

Our Site may offer goods and services from third parties. We cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of goods and services made available by third parties on our Site.

User goods and services

Our Site allows users to sell goods and services. We do not assume any responsibility for the goods and services users sell on our Site. We cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of any goods and services sold by users on our Site. However, if we are made aware that a user is violating these Terms and Conditions, we reserve the right to suspend or prohibit the user from selling goods and services on our Site.

Guarantees

The following guarantees apply to our Site:

• NO guarantee expressed or implied.

Links to other websites

Our Site contains links to third-party websites or services that we do not own or control. We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of any third-party website or service linked to on our Site. It is your responsibility to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of these third-party websites before using these sites.

Limitation of liability

Appleseed News Inc. and our directors, officers, agents, employees, subsidiaries, and affiliates will not be liable for any actions, claims, losses, damages, liabilities and expenses including legal fees from your use of the Site.

Indemnity

Except where prohibited by law, by using this Site you indemnify and hold harmless Appleseed News Inc. and our directors, officers, agents, employees, subsidiaries, and affiliates from any actions, claims, losses, damages, liabilities and expenses including legal fees arising out of your use of our Site or your violation of these Terms and Conditions.

Applicable law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.

Dispute resolution

Subject to any exceptions specified in these Terms and Conditions, if you and Appleseed News Inc. are unable to resolve any dispute through informal discussion, then you and Appleseed News Inc. agree to submit the issue first before a non-binding mediator and to an arbitrator in the event that mediation fails. The decision of the arbitrator will be final and binding. Any mediator or arbitrator must be a neutral party acceptable to both you and Appleseed News Inc. The costs of any mediation or arbitration will be paid by the unsuccessful party.

Notwithstanding any other provision in these Terms and Conditions, you and Appleseed News Inc. agree that you both retain the right to bring an action in small claims court and to bring an action for injunctive relief or intellectual property infringement.

Additional terms

• The Site reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time with and/or without notice.

Severability

If at any time any of the provisions set forth in these Terms and Conditions are found to be inconsistent or invalid under applicable laws, those provisions will be deemed void and will be removed from these Terms and Conditions. All other provisions will not be affected by the removal and the rest of these Terms and Conditions will still be considered valid.

Changes

These Terms and Conditions may be amended from time to time in order to maintain compliance with the law and to reflect any changes to the way we operate our Site and the way we expect users to behave on our Site. We will notify users by email of changes to these Terms and Conditions or post a notice on our Site.

Contact details

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Our contact details are as follows:

• Phone: (419) 295-5843
• Email: admin@appleseednews.com
• Address: 630 Oak St. Lot 39, Mansfield, Ohio 44907

You can also contact us through the feedback form available on our Site.

Effective date: 25th day of February, 2024

Template notice on original publication: ©2002-2024 LawDepot.com®

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Local context: These terms cover reader accounts, user-submitted material (comments, marketplace-style posts), third-party tools, and Ohio governing law. Breaking-news coverage and public records reporting are governed by law and editorial policy; when in doubt, contact the organization at the details above.

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Privacy and cookie policy

AppleseedNews.com Privacy Policy

Type of website: News or Media
Effective date: 25th day of February, 2024

AppleseedNews.com (the “Site”) is owned and operated by Appleseed News Inc. Appleseed News Inc. can be contacted at: admin@appleseednews.com · (419) 295-5843 · 630 Oak St. Lot 39, Mansfield, Ohio 44907

Purpose

The purpose of this privacy policy (this “Privacy Policy”) is to inform users of our Site of the following:

1. The personal data we will collect;
2. Use of collected data;
3. Who has access to the data collected;
4. The rights of Site users; and
5. The Site’s cookie policy.

This Privacy Policy applies in addition to the terms and conditions of our Site.

Consent

By using our Site users agree that they consent to:

1. The conditions set out in this Privacy Policy; and
2. The collection, use, and retention of the data listed in this Privacy Policy.

Personal data we collect

We only collect data that helps us achieve the purpose set out in this Privacy Policy. We will not collect any additional data beyond the data listed below without notifying you first.

Data collected automatically

When you visit and use our Site, we may automatically collect and store the following information:

1. IP address;
2. Location;
3. Hardware and software details;
4. Clicked links; and
5. Content viewed.

Data collected in a non-automatic way

We may also collect the following data when you perform certain functions on our Site:

1. First and last name;
2. Age;
3. Date of birth;
4. Sex;
5. Email address;
6. Phone number;
7. Address;
8. Payment information; and
9. Auto fill data.

This data may be collected using the following methods:

1. Forms and features you use on the Site (for example account registration, newsletter signup, donations, classifieds-style listings, comments, and contact or feedback forms).

How we use personal data

We use the information we collect to run the Site and to provide the services and features you use or request—for example reading the news, account access, newsletter signup, donations, listings, comments, or contacting us—and to communicate with you about those services when appropriate. We do not use your data for unrelated purposes unless this Privacy Policy states otherwise or the law requires it.

Data collected on our Site will only be used for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy or indicated on the relevant pages of our Site. We will not use your data beyond what we disclose in this Privacy Policy.

The data we collect automatically is used for the following purposes:

1. Provide services, other legal uses.

The data we collect when the user performs certain functions may be used for the following purposes:

1. Provide services, communication, research, any other legal use.

Who we share personal data with

Employees — We may disclose user data to any member of our organization who reasonably needs access to user data to achieve the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

Third parties — We may share user data with the following third parties:

1. Service providers such as analytics, payment and donation processors, email delivery, maps or media embeds, and similar tools, as disclosed on the relevant pages when you use a feature.

We may share the following user data with third parties:

1. Personal data, usage data, other data as needed to operate the feature you chose.

We may share user data with third parties for the following purposes:

1. To provide services, research, other legal purposes.

Third parties will not be able to access user data beyond what is reasonably necessary to achieve the given purpose.

When a feature is delivered in whole or in part by another company (for example checkout for a donation, mail delivery for a newsletter, or an embedded map or player), that company receives only what is reasonably needed to provide that feature for you. Its privacy policy and terms apply to how it handles information when you use that feature, together with this Privacy Policy. We do not sell your personal information. The limited exceptions where information may go to others outside ordinary service-provider use are listed under “Other disclosures” below.

Other disclosures

We will not sell or share your data with other third parties, except in the following cases:

1. If the law requires it;
2. If it is required for any legal proceeding;
3. To prove or protect our legal rights; and
4. To buyers or potential buyers of this company in the event that we seek to sell the company.

If you follow hyperlinks from our Site to another website or app, that destination’s privacy policy and practices apply there; we are not responsible for and do not control how they handle information.

How long we store personal data

User data will be stored until the purpose the data was collected for has been achieved.

You will be notified if your data is kept for longer than this period.

How we protect your personal data

Firewalls, encryption, security software, and other reasonable safeguards.

While we take all reasonable precautions to ensure that user data is secure and that users are protected, there always remains the risk of harm. The Internet as a whole can be insecure at times and therefore we are unable to guarantee the security of user data beyond what is reasonably practical.

Children

The minimum age to use our website is 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect or use personal data from children under 13 years of age. If we learn that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 years of age, the personal data will be deleted as soon as possible. If a child under 13 years of age has provided us with personal data their parent or guardian may contact our privacy officer.

How to access, modify, delete, or challenge the data collected

If you would like to know if we have collected your personal data, how we have used your personal data, if we have disclosed your personal data and to who we disclosed your personal data, or if you would like your data to be deleted or modified in any way, please contact our privacy officer here:

Carl Gilliam
admin@appleseednews.com
(419) 295-5843
630 Oak St. Lot 39, Mansfield, Ohio 44907

Do not track notice

Do Not Track (“DNT”) is a privacy preference that you can set in certain web browsers. We respond to browser-initiated DNT signals. If we receive a DNT signal that indicates a user does not wish to be tracked, we will not track that user. We are not responsible for and cannot guarantee how any third parties who interact with our Site and your data will respond to DNT signals.

How to opt-out of data collection, use or disclosure

In addition to the method(s) described in the “How to Access, Modify, Delete, or Challenge the Data Collected” section, we provide the following specific opt-out methods for the forms of collection, use, or disclosure of your personal data specified below:

1. Contact us; you can opt out by contacting us, or use website features where available.

Cookie policy

A cookie is a small file, stored on a user’s hard drive by a website. Its purpose is to collect data relating to the user’s browsing habits. You can choose to be notified each time a cookie is transmitted. You can also choose to disable cookies entirely in your internet browser, but this may decrease the quality of your user experience.

We use the following types of cookies on our Site:

1. Functional cookies — used to remember selections you make on our Site so that your selections are saved for your next visits;
2. Analytical cookies — allow us to improve the design and functionality of our Site by collecting data on how you access our Site, for example data on the content you access, how long you stay on our Site, etc.;
3. Targeting cookies — collect data on how you use the Site and your preferences so we can personalize information you see; and
4. Third-party cookies — created by a website other than ours. We may use third-party cookies to monitor user preferences to tailor advertisements around their interests, and for other disclosed legal uses.

Additional clauses

The Site retains the right to change the privacy policy, cookie policy, and terms of service at any time with and/or without notice.

Modifications

This Privacy Policy may be amended from time to time in order to maintain compliance with the law and to reflect any changes to our data collection process. When we amend this Privacy Policy we will update the “Effective Date” at the top of this Privacy Policy. We recommend that our users periodically review our Privacy Policy to ensure that they are notified of any updates. If necessary, we may notify users by email of changes to this Privacy Policy.

Contact information

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints, you can contact our privacy officer, Carl Gilliam, at: admin@appleseednews.com · (419) 295-5843 · 630 Oak St. Lot 39, Mansfield, Ohio 44907

Template notice on original publication: ©2002-2024 LawDepot.com®

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Operational note: When you add a donor CRM, payments, or new embeds, update the “third parties” and cookie sections here and in your consent text so they stay accurate. Newsletter and donation flows should name the processors you actually use.

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